1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to dietary supplements, and more particularly to a combination of Citrus aurantium extract and one or more ingredients designed to control weight via loss of fat and maintenance of lean body mass.
2. Background Art
Weight control is a concern of human beings. More and more individuals are joining health clubs, purchasing home exercise equipment and participating in sporting activities. In order to improve their performance in these activities, individuals may desire to lose body fat while at the same time maintaining or preserving lean body mass.
More importantly, excessive accumulation of body fat (i.e. obesity) can be dangerous and has been linked to health problems such as type II diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, breast and colon cancer, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, gastroesophogeal reflux disease, fatty liver, gout, thromboembolism. Despite increased awareness of these health risks among Americans, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled since the turn of the century. The Merck Manual, 15th ed. p. 952.
Determinants of obesity include social factors, psychologic factors, genetic factors, developmental factors, and decreased physical activity. Some components of a comprehensive weight loss program include medical assessment, behavior and dietary modification, nutrition education, cognitive restructuring, increased physical activity, and long term follow-up.
Unfortunately, losing weight (and keeping it off) is very difficult for most individuals. Weight gain results when an individual""s caloric intake exceeds the number of calories expended as energy. In attempting to lose weight, an individual may utilize a regimen of caloric deficit (i.e. decreasing caloric intake so that calories expended as energy exceed caloric intake). Generally, the result is an adaptive response of a lowered basal (resting) metabolic rate. Caloric deficit can also cause a loss of skeletal muscle. Thus, weight loss or reducing caloric intake results in a lowering of resting energy expenditure and loss of lean body mass. This makes it harder to keep the weight off once the individual has attained his desired weight goal.
One cause of this decreased resting energy expenditure may be reduced functionality of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) of the body. It has been observed that genetically obese rats exhibit low sympathetic outflow or responsiveness in various tissues. Humans genetically predisposed to weight gain already exhibit reduced SNS functioning; decreased energy expenditure further exacerbates their condition.
Physiologically, reduced SNS functioning translates into reduced adrenaline (norepinephrine and epinephrine) induced thermogenesis (i.e. reduced heat production within the body). One role played by norepinephrine and epinephrine in the body is the regulation of metabolism via stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors within the SNS. Beta-adrenergic receptors are involved in the pathways of lipolysis (i.e. breakdown or hydrolysis of fats from fat stores into fatty acids), glycogenolysis (i.e. breakdown of glycogen into glucose) and thermogenesis. Thus, reduced SNS functioning impedes these pathways.
Indirect sympatheticomimetic compounds are adrenergic agents that potentiate (i.e. increase) the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine at pre-synaptic sites in the SNS and thereby avert reduced SNS functioning resulting from weight loss or reduced caloric intake. In the past, indirect sympatheticomimetic drugs such as ephedrine have been administered to humans as slimming agents, often in combination with methylxanthines (stimulatory agents) such as caffeine or theophylline. While individuals undergoing such treatment may lose weight, treated individuals may also experience undesirable side effects such as nervousness, tachycardia, hypertension, insomnia and dry mouth.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an effective and safer dietary supplement that promotes weight loss and maintains lean body mass, while avoiding potential negative side effects associated with other dietary supplements used to promote weight loss.
The invention includes: (a) a dietary supplement comprising Citrus aurantium extract and a methylxanthine, with or without St. John""s wort extract and/or L-Phenylalanine; (b) a method of promoting weight loss by administration of the dietary supplement; and (c) a method of promoting fat loss while preserving lean body mass by administration of the dietary supplement. When administration of the dietary supplement is combined with caloric restriction and exercise, the degree of weight loss is greater than that experienced with caloric restriction and exercise alone.
Thus, an object of the invention is to promote weight loss. Another object of the invention to promote fat loss while maintaining or preserving lean body mass. An additional object of the invention is to avoid negative side effects associated with other dietary supplements used to promote weight loss (i.e. depression, nervousness, hypertension, etc.). Other objectives, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, and from the claims.